My Road of Good Intentions
by ballistics belle
Summary: A different takes on 'Mai Ka Wa Kahinko'. What if it wasn't Stan? What if in order to get Grace back, Danny had to kill his own partner? Slash
1. My Road of Good Intentions

**A/n: **I loved this episode for so many reason, though mainly because there was almost no Lori in it . But after watching it, I couldn't get this thought out of my head.

**Summary: **What if it hadn't been Stan? What if, in order to get his daughter back, Danny had to kill his own partner? It's told from both Steve and Danny's perspectives. Slash with major spoilers.

_No good deed goes unpunished, no act of charity goes unresented. No good deed goes unpunished, that's my new creed. My road of good intentions led where such roads always lead. No good deed goes unpunished. —Idina Menzel, No Good Deed_

_**Steve's POV**_

I know that I've tempted fate more than a few times in the last few years and now karma has come back to bite me in the ass.

My heart is racing inside of my chest and despite my best efforts to control it, my breathing is slightly shallow and irregular. It's a combination of fear and stress getting to me. Now I know what my partner must have felt when I went missing in North Korea and it sucks. Because now Danny is the one that's missing. Granted, Danny is still on the island (or at least I _hope_ he's still on the island) we just don't know where. Danny being missing is bad enough but Grace is also missing which means that my partner is going to be completely irrational and is likely to do something stupid. I just hope that whatever he does is something I can fix. I'm pacing the office like some kind of caged animal when Kono comes bursting out of her office with new information.

"Charlie got a print off of the laptop. Rick McGuire is really Rick Petersen. He was a police officer in New Jersey." She states. My gut sinks.

"A cop from New Jersey? Does Danny know this guy?" I don't know why I bother asking Kono. I can already tell by the look on her face that I'm not going to like the answer.

"Yeah, Danny put him in prison." She replies and I fight back the urge to punch something.

I should have known that things were going to go to hell when Danny said that he knew the victim. Things like this always do. I guess I just didn't realize how quickly it would all go wrong. I shouldn't have let Danny go off alone. If I hadn't I would have been with him when this jerk decided to ruin our lives by taking Grace. He probably would have kicked me out of the car as soon as that asshole told him to but at least then I would have had a clue where to start instead of being ten steps behind

I'm panicking. I'll never admit it to anyone but I'm definitely panicking (and if _I _can't keep it together how the hell did Danny do it when I was missing?). My partner is being controlled by some revenge filled psycho who has the most precious thing in his (our) life and I have no way to talk to him and no idea where he is. I feel as helpless as I did that day in South Korea where a gunshot over cell phone changed everything.

_**Danny's POV**_

I should have known.

I should have known when I saw Collins' body that I was going to end up involved somehow. Which wouldn't have been so bad—but now Grace is involved too. I'm essentially screwed.

I can't believe that I forgot Petersen was being paroled. The D.A. had called me months ago to inform me that my former training partner—the man I put in jail—was being released. In my defense, I had a lot going on at the time, namely Steve going to jail and my failed attempt to resurrect one relationship because I was in denial about another. So Petersen slipped to the back of my mind while I tried to get my life straightened out.

But he's front and center now.

I like to think I'm a pretty rational person. But when someone threatens my family, I throw rationality out the window (with my phone and weapon) and do things that even my Super SEAL of a partner would question. As I drive the wrong way down a busy street in the middle of downtown during the middle of rush hour I can hear Steve in my head.

"_You know if I did something like this you'd be reading me the riot act."_

"_No, I'd just arrest you."_

My heart is racing by the time I get to the bus stop and I'm shaking with an adrenaline high. Grace is safe for now and I intend to keep it that way.


	2. Sure I Meant Well

**A/n: **Wow you guys! What a response to this! You're all amazing!

_When you love someone, you'll do anything. You'll do all the crazy things that you can't explain….you'll deny the truth, believe a lie….when you love someone.-Bryan Adams, When You Love Someone_

_No good deed goes unpunished. All helpful urges should be circumvented. No good deed goes unpunished. Sure I meant well, well look at what well meant did. –Idina Menzel, No Good Deed_

_**Steve**_

I don't know whether to kiss Kono or yell at her. She's definitely been the most level-headed of all of us and because of that she's come up with the most information. She's the one who figured out that Rick McGuire was really Rick Petersen and now she's the one to tell me that Danny has ditched his phone and weapon. The only useful thing that I've managed to do is make sure Rachel and the baby are safe and get Lori to track the police GPS in the Camaro. Which is a total crap shoot to begin with. If Petersen is a cop, it's only a matter of time before he finds it and disables it. So now I've got to find them before they go off the grid or switch cars.

I take Chin with me in the truck. God knows someone needs to be thinking clearly in this situation and I'm not sure I qualify for that job at the moment. I've managed to pull myself together on the outside but on the inside I'm slowly falling apart. This could change everything. If anything happens to Grace then Danny is _gone _and I lose my partner, my best friend and the man I love. That last one is supposed to be a secret but I get the feeling it's not going to stay that way much longer.

Danny and I have been together since I was cleared of murdering the governor and released from prison. I just couldn't understand why he would have stayed behind in Hawaii to be with me when Rachel was offering him his family back on a silver platter. And then after a few late nights and a lot beer I finally got the answer out of him. Yes, he loved Rachel but he was _in love _with me and that scared him. He said he realized around the time that his brother disappeared that I meant more to him than just his friend and partner. But he didn't think I shared his feelings so he ran back to Rachel, convinced that the feelings would go away. They didn't.

Apparently the whole almost-dying-from-Sarin and me going to prison made him realize that his feelings weren't going away but actually intensifying. He needed me in his life in every aspect. To say I was surprised is an understatement. I had had feelings for him long before Matt showed up but didn't dare act upon them. Until, like him, everything got screwed up and I realized that we can't always wait for fate to step in, something we have to take things into our own hands. So we've been together almost five months and haven't really gotten around to telling anyone that fact. I'm pretty sure that Chin and Kono suspect it but they haven't said anything about it. Though I'm pretty sure they'll have something to say after this is all over.

I'm trying to navigate the truck through traffic as Chin tracks the Camaro's GPS when Kono calls with more information. She and Fong have been working on the laptop to try to get something useful off of it and they've found something interesting.

"Petersen cloned Danny's phone and hacked into the voicemail system. We found this one downloaded onto his computer. Listen." Kono says and once the message starts I wish I hadn't put the phone on speaker.

"_Danny look, I know I said we could try things again but this just isn't going to work" _Rachel's accented voice rang out over the speaker. "_I can't keep coming in second to Steve McGarrett. It's clear-at least to me and everyone else- that he's the one you really love. I'm sorry Danny." _ The clip ends and Chin just looks over at me. I throw my head back against the head rest.

Oh. Shit.

_**Danny**_

I get a bad feeling on my way to Diamondhead. Like Petersen is got one more surprise for me and this one just might kill me. I wish Steve were here with me. I don't like being alone through all of this. Without my partner to talk me off the ledge, I'm liable to do something stupid and regrettable.

"_Hey Danny, what are you doing?"_

"_I'm not doing anything, alright?"_

"_Listen to me, you say I have a face? You, my friend, you have a tone and it says I'm going to hit somebody…."_

"…_.I'm a father!'_

"_Yeah and you're also a cop with a gun and when those two worlds cross it can get messy."_

"_Yeah well I'm not the one who crossed them."_

A knock on the hood shakes me out of my memory and I turn to see Petersen pointing a gun at my head. Fabulous.

He tells me to cuff myself to the wheel and I bite back a laugh. I'm so mad right now I could rip the damn steering wheel off and beat the bastard with it until he tells me where Grace is. But knowing him, he'd just stay quiet until he was dead. So I'm force to sit there and listen as he explains himself. He wants his life back, the life I supposedly stole from him. He says he wants his wife and son back and I get a sick feeling I know where this is going.

"I don't understand what's wrong with you D. Rachel was willing to give you a second chance and you threw it away for some faggot?" I wince at the word and resist the urge to yell at Rick not to talk about Steve like that. "Do you know what I would do for a second chance with Kim?" Rick asks. He's getting agitated now.

"Rick listen-"

"No, you listen to me!" He shouts. "Uncuff yourself and start driving." He commands. I just look at him. He knows. Somehow he knows and now the second most important person in my life may be in danger. "I said drive!" I swallow hard and do as he's told. As I pull out of the parking space I see Rick sending a message on the cell phone.

"What are you doing?" I question.

"I'm making things different."


	3. Look At What Well Meant Did

**A/n: **Sorry. I meant to post this yesterday but FF was giving me a hard time. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought this was a better idea than shooting Stan. Everybody knows he's not the problem between Danny and Rachel.

_When you love someone, you'll sacrifice. Give it everything you've got and you won't think twice. You'll risk it all, no matter what may come, when you love someone—Bryan Adams, When You Love Someone_

_Show me what it's like to be the last one standing, and teach me wrong from right and I'll show you what I can be. Say it for me, say it to me and I'll leave this life behind me. Say it if it's worth saving me.—Nickelback, Savin' Me_

_**Steve**_

Now he's just screwing with me.

Rachel got a text message that was supposedly from Danny telling her that he was going to make things right between the two of them. Before I can even contemplate what the hell that might mean, I get my own text message.

'_Ala Moana Park, twenty minutes. Come alone and unarmed.'_

It's a trap. I know it is. Danny's phone has been cloned and I know that he knows that which means that none of this is really him. It's fucking Petersen. And Petersen is stupid. Trap or no trap, I'm going to meet my partner and 5-0 is going with me

_**Danny**_

I feel sick. I would rather be tortured slowly and painfully for the rest of my life than do what this bastard wants me to do. He contacted Steve. Somehow he found out about our relationship and now he's out to destroy it.

"Why are you doing this? This is about you and me. This is not about Grace and it's not about Steve." I'm close to tears and I don't care. I'm _not_ going to kill my partner.

"Come on D, if he loves you as much as you seem to think he does then he should be willing to die for you and little Gracie." He taunts me.

'_He is willing to die for us' _I think to myself. '_I just don't want to be the one responsible for it'_.

"What do you think this is going to do? You think I'm going to go to prison?" I'm losing it now. Shit.

"I don't care if you go to prison. I just want you to lose everything that's precious to you like I did. They'll never forgive you for this. 5-0 and Grace will never forgive you for killing Steve." He explains as he checks the rearview mirror. Steve's truck has just pulled up. Damn it. "Get out."

"Rick please-"

"Get out of the car, D!" He shouts. I sigh and take a deep breath as I open the door. Steve is standing with his back to me in the park which allows me to the chance to grab the gun unnoticed. The weapon feels heavy and clunky in my hand.

'_You can't do this!' _A part of me screams. "_You can't shoot Steve!'_

'_But you know he'd understand' _Another part of me says.

'_Would he? Or would you be just another person who betrayed him?' _

'_Steve loves you. He loves Grace. He'll understand why you had to do this.'_

I swallow thickly as I approach my partner. I raise my weapon and call out to him.

"Steve!"

_**Steve**_

"Steve!"

I turn around at the sound of Danny's voice and find myself staring down the barrel of a gun. Well damn.

"Danny what are you doing? What's going on?" I ask, bringing my hands up in a defensive pose. I can see it in his eyes. He's not in control. Someone else is pulling his strings.

"Petersen's in my car and he's going to kill Grace if I don't kill you first." He tells me softly. He's got tears in his eyes. He doesn't want to do this—but he will. "I'm sorry Steve. I don't have a choice."

'_I know you don't, Danny.' _I think to myself as I close my eyes and prepare for the pain.

_**Danny**_

Steve knows. As soon as he turns around he knows that he's screwed. He stands there, resigned to his fate that I now control. I think I'm going to be sick. I know I don't have a lot of time so I have to try to explain things to him but I have to be careful. I don't know if Rick can read my lips or not. Steve knows why I have to do this and he just accepts it. He closes his eyes and-god help me—

I pull the trigger…..


	4. Wicked Through and Through

_Well it feels like slow motion, I hear the gun exploding. I see a flash, it brings me to my knees and I feel the warmth flowing out of me.—Ty Herndon, Heather's Wall_

_If I only could make a deal with God and get him to swap our places, be running up that road, be running up that hill, no problem.—Placebo, Running Up That Hill_

_**Steve**_

I feel the bullet rip through my shoulder and I stumble backwards, more from surprise than the force of the shot. I end up on my back in the grass. I look up and see my partner standing over me with his weapon still aimed at me.

"Danny…" I plead.

"I'm sorry." He mouths, a few tears escaping down his cheek. I close my eyes again and hear two more shots. I wait for the pain but it never comes. I open my eyes and see that Chin is now kneeling over me pressing his hands to my bloody shoulder.

"You're going to be fine. It's a through and through." He tells me with what I'm sure is supposed to be a reassuring smile. I know I'll be fine. It's my partner I'm worried about.

"Danny-" I choke out. I can't see him anywhere but I can hear him yelling.

"_Where is she?" _He shouts over and over again. I hear another gunshot and immediately try to sit up.

"Danny!" I cry out. Chin pushes me back down.

"He's fine. Petersen's going to be walking with a limp though." He informs and I breathe a little easier.

"Grace…"

"They're going to get her right now." Chin tells me. I can hear the squealing of the tires on the Camaro.

"Go with him." I order. I want to go as well but I'm bleeding pretty good and the adrenaline is starting to wear off and my shoulder is starting to hurt like hell. "Go with him Chin! I'll be fine. Let me know when you have Grace." I tell him. I can hear the sirens and know that the paramedics are close.

"I'll take care of him." Chin replies to my unspoken request. He pats me on my good shoulder and steps aside as the medics arrive.

I always said I'd take a bullet for Grace. I just never thought it'd be my partner doing the shooting.

_**Danny**_

Holy shit. I just shot my partner.

When I see Steve stumble and fall to the ground bleeding , it takes all my self control not to fall down next to him to try to help him. Instead, I move a little closer to him with my weapon still pointed towards him. I fire two more shots but this time I put them in the ground and not in his gut. It gives the illusion that I did though which is really all I need. I can see Chin and Kono approaching the Camaro now. I don't want to walk away from Steve in this condition but this isn't over yet. I still have to find Grace. Chin leaves Petersen, who is cuffed and out of the car now and rushes over to Steve as I approach.

"Where is she?" I shout.

The bastard doesn't answer which turns out to be a painful mistake as I shoot out his knee cap. I just shot my partner; I got no problem putting a bullet in him too. Kono doesn't say anything about what I've just done; she just turns her head as if she doesn't see me. I hear Steve calling out for me but I have to tune him out. I can't think of him right now.

"Next one goes in your head. Now where is she?" I repeat. I place the smoking barrel against his skull with my finger on the trigger and finally—finally—he tells me. I jump up from my knees, tuck the weapon into my belt and run towards the Camaro.

I have to get to Gracie.

I have to end this nightmare once and for all.

I just hope my partner can forgive me for all of this.


	5. Know That It Doesn't Hurt Me

_It doesn't hurt me, you want to know, know that it doesn't hurt me….tell me we both matter don't we? You and I won't be unhappy. –Placebo, Running Up that Hill_

_**Steve **_

I don't really remember the ambulance ride or even much of what went down in the emergency room. I know that Kono stayed by my side through it all. I'm pretty sure she promised Danny that she would stay with me and Kono would never go against a promise she made to Danny. The shot was through and through which was good for me because it meant that I didn't have to go through surgery but the doctors were worried about the amount of blood loss and infection so they insisted on admitting me overnight for observation. I was incredibly annoyed by this. All I wanted was to get patched up so I could see Grace to make sure she was really okay before going home with Danny where we could curl up in bed and try to sleep this nightmare of a day away.

Chin informs me after I'm settled into my own room that Danny and Rachel had Grace and that she was fine but that they were heading over here to get her checked out. I breathe easy for the first time since Danny went off the radar. Gracie was safe which meant that it had all been worth it. I would have taken a whole magazine of bullets if I knew that it would save Grace. Or Danny. I really need to see my partner. I need to tell him that everything's okay. That I know why he had to do it and I would do it again if it meant protecting either one of them. I know it's going to take awhile for Danny to get over this but the sooner we can start the healing process the better.

I had just started to nod off from the pain medication they had given me when I heard someone enter my room. I cracked an open to see my partner standing at the end of my bed looking about as bad as I'd ever seen him. His hair is messed up from running his hands through it (one of his nervous ticks), his eyes are red and puffy from crying and he looks as though he's aged about ten years in the matter of a few hours. Seeing Danny likes this, practically broken, makes me want just five minutes alone with that bastard. A blown out kneecap would have been the least of his problems. Maybe after I'm discharged…

"What did the doctors say?" Danny asks me. His voice is rough and I barely hear him.

"I'm fine, Danny. Just some stitches and a transfusion. I'll be back to normal by the morning." I assure him in the most confident tone I can must.

Danny just nods and looks down at his feet. He feels guilty and I wish that there was something that I could do or say to convince him that this wasn't his fault. But right now he's not in the right frame of mind to listen to me. He'll just shut me down and push me away and that's the last thing I want right now. I start to open my mouth to tell Danny something when there's a knock at my door. We both look over and see Rachel standing there with Grace right there next to her.

"I'm sorry to bother you but she insisted upon seeing you." Rachel says softly as she holds Grace's hand. The little girl looks tired and a little dirty but otherwise perfect and I can't help the smile that comes across my face.

"It's alright, come here Grace." I wave her over to us and she quickly comes and curls up into my good side.

"I heard that you got hurt. Did the bad guy do that to your arm?" She inquires as she points to my bandaged shoulder.

"Yeah Gracie, the bad guy hurt my arm." I say, looking Danny right in the eye. He turns away from me and walks over towards the window. I frown. "I promise though that your mom, Danno and I will always make sure that you are safe and protected. Okay?" I try to reassure her. She nods and gives me a weak smile. I give another look at my partner, who has his back to me, so l leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Hey, you know your Danno is looking a little sad. You think you and your mom could go find something that would cheer him up?" She nods. I kiss the top of her head.

"I'm really glad you're okay Steve." She says as she kisses my cheek.

"I'm glad you're okay too." I kiss the top of her head before she jumps off the bed and runs back to Rachel.

"Thank you…for everything." Rachel says and I can see a few tears in her eyes. I just nodded somewhat shyly. I don't feel like I really did anything spectacular today. I just let the man I love put a bullet in my shoulder. I wait until we're alone again before I call out to him.

"Danny." He doesn't turn around.

"Danno." I try again. Still no response.

"Daniel Williams." I say using my best commanding officer voice. "Look at me." Finally he turns around and I can see the tears on his cheek. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" He exclaims hands flying in the air. "What's wrong? Gee Steven, let's recap the day shall we? A friend of mine was murdered in an airplane bathroom by my former training officer- who I put in jail because he was a dirty cop—who came to Hawaii to get revenge on me by kidnapping my daughter and forcing me to shoot you. And you want to know what the hell is wrong?" He asks me incredulously, practically yelling.

"Danny, I know you've been to hell and back again today and none of this makes any sense. But when it all hits you-and it will hit you-there are three things you need to know: you did what you had to do and Grace and I are both alive because of it." I declare.

"You said three, what's the third?" He asks me softly.

"That I love you." I add.

I watch Danny's chin tremble slightly and I know that he's finally ready to let go so I scoot over and pat the empty side of my bed, beckoning him to come to me. It takes three long strides before he's curled against my side with his head buried in my good shoulder and then tears finally come hard and heavy.

"That's it babe, just let it all go. I'll hold onto you. I promise, I'll hold on."


End file.
